and finally on Clyde

After what seems like ages I was finally able to get out on the water today. And I also exceeded my own expectation by managing an afternoon on the Clyde in pursuit of the Grayling with John and one of his mates from the Rainbow Warriors Angling Club, Martin. I think Martin is just starting out with the river fishing though is a very accomplished lochstyle angler.

Johns Alleged big trout- the pic wa sprobably taken on a fishery somewhere.
I reckon
Probably

I arrived just as they were making there way to the river to start fishing and by the time I had tackled up and got all the thermals and waders on, John had already had two small Grayling. I joined them and fished for a wee while but the wading here, was quite hard for me with my feet. The Mix of bouldery bottom and bouldery feet isn’t a good one.

I decided to head downstream a bit and try my luck where the wading was easier.

The top section of the run was already occupied by another angler so I headed to where I have had fish previously

and started to fish my cast of three bugs.

The water was much lower than before and where I was over waist deep and only able to cover a fairly limited area, I was able to pretty well wade two thirds of the width of the river. I was getting snagged up though quite a bit and was toying with putting lighter bugs on to prevent the regular snags. At least I knew I was getting down! I seen John and Martin get into the river above me, it seemed John maybe knew the guy fishing there so was less shy about fishing the same water, and he shouted down pretty soon after starting that he clearly had a pretty big Grayling in the net, maybe a two and a half pounder.

As I started my second sortie across river I got snagged and as I freed it it appeared the point fly  was engulfed by a moderately sized grayling, a typical 30cm fish. I was concious I possibly hadn’t hooked it well as the hooking of the fish coincided with me freeing the snag and for all I knew the fish might have took the bug below a snagged middle dropper, so was maybe on a second before I felt it. I was bringing it in to hand  when it twisted and was off. Oh well, saved me a wet hand!

A good two and a half pound Grayling caught by John and quickly returned

A Brown Trout around two and a half pounds hooked while Grayling fishing. Fish returned

I fished on but had no more offers and my left foot was hurting, not so much from the arthritis, but more like my sock or waders
were bunched up round my toes so I had to exit the water and get my wader boot off to sort my foot out. While I was doing this I got chatting to a passer by who was himself a keen Grayling angler and he was saying the anglers he had so far spoken to were having a tough time of it. Maybe the snow melt ( making the water a bit cloudy) and the salt being carried into the river were putting the fish off. I decided to go try further downstream again where the water is a bit slower and deeper and see if maybe I could find fish there.

This turned into a monster snagfest, not sure if there is maybe a tree lying subsurface ( an area I have fished OK previously, though there is what seems like a Christmas tree type conifer lying subsurface at the top of the glide) , but the next 20 minutes were snag after snag and I must have lost half a dozen bugs. Very frustrating. I eventually opted to put a lighter bug on the point which further down the run seemed to snag less- whether because I was past the obstruction or now I wasn’t getting down was kind of hard to say- I seemed to be getting down.

The near 3lb Brownie caught by Martin on only his second river outing. Safely returned

John came down and joined me, and then told me that both he and Martin had landed HUGE Brown Trout. He showed me the pics and right enough they were getting close to the 3lb class. Now as I never seen them actually catch these I cannot be 100% sue they didn’t just show me pictures taken at some fishery somewhere, that they had carefully pre prepared to wind me up.

John suggested we move to another beat where the wading was easier so I decided it seemed like a good idea plus it gets me seeing places I haven’t fished before.

Having relocated John suggested where fish might be found. As we arrived we had been speaking to another angler, a maggot drowner, who had just fished this section without success. So hopes were not high, maybe  a lot of well fed unco-operative fish lurked here.

I fished down a section here without so much as a touch as did John behind me, but Martin had went if further down and he managed average Grayling. Clearly the “novice” was showing us two up today!

By about 4pm I had had enough, no fish and getting a bit tired I decided I would be wise not to push things too hard, and called it a day, they were off to fish further downstream again.

Was great to be out in good company once again, after such an enforced break. Hopefully things settle down and I get back to the rivers soon again.